This invention relates to the well-known computer control device that is commonly referred to, and known as a mouse.
Those familiar with personal computers know that a xe2x80x9cmousexe2x80x9d is actually a computer input device that is used for a variety of tasks. Among other things, a mouse provides a pointing device metaphor that is used to identify (and initiate) executable programs, locate or place an insertion point icon in a document, discard files by xe2x80x9cdragging and droppingxe2x80x9d a file icon into a metaphorical trash can. A mouse can also be used to control the scrolling action of a screen and the images displayed thereon by software executing on a computer""s processor. A mouse can also be used to select files to open or close; delete or retrieve files as well as shut down the computer to which it is coupled. A mouse and the on-screen icon it uses, is sometimes referred to as a pointing device in that it""s on-screen icon is usually used to identify (or point to) one or more icons representing file or program metaphors (icons).
A computer mouse on-screen icon moves about the screen in response to the physical movement of the mouse across a surface, such as a table or desk. In other words, if a computer mouse is moved left, computer software causes its on-screen icon to also move left, generally in an amount directly related to the distance that the mouse moved across the surface. Moving a mouse right across a surface usually causes the onscreen mouse icon to also move right.
On-screen mouse icon movement is typically achieved by way of electrical signals that are output from a mouse device in response to its actual physical movement. Signals from the mouse can be made to change in response to physical movement by using either a track ball mechanism that rotates small potentiometers or using more sophisticated optical position sensors that can xe2x80x9cseexe2x80x9d movement of a surface with respect to the mouse.
An optical mouse is known art and is disclosed in at least U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,710 for a xe2x80x9cScanning Mouse for a Computer System,xe2x80x9d which is incorporated herein by reference. In particular, however, the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,710 that relate to optically sensing (detecting) movement of the mouse and the optical scanning of images thereon is incorporated herein by reference. An optical mouse which detects movement over a surface and which is also capable of reading optically encoded information would be an improvement over the prior art. A mouse having an optical scanning and bar code reading capability might prove to be valuable in the Internet age.
There is provided an optical mouse (for use as a pointing device with a computer) that is combined with a bar code scanner. One or more optical image sensors in combination with electronic circuitry, detects physical movement of the mouse and also detects the lines and spaces that comprise a bar code.